The vessel was owned by Zhejiang Xiazhiyuan Ship Management which went bankrupt after its boss, Xia Hanren, fled China to escape from mounting debts in 2015. The company has since been taken over by the court.

The 38,000 dwt Xia Zhi Yuan 6 joined Cosco’s heavylift vessel pool in 2012, and it was arrested in 2015 due to the owner’s debt issues.

In February, the court also sold the 27,000d wt bulk carrier Xia Zhi Yuan 7 to Zhejiang Xin Luo Shipping via auction. The vessel has since been renamed Xin Luo 7.

Jason is one of the most prolific writers on the diverse China shipping & logistics industry and his access to the major maritime players with business in China has proved an invaluable source of exclusives. Having been working at Asia Shipping Media since inception, Jason is the chief correspondent of Splash and associate editor of Maritime CEO magazine. Previously he had written for a host of titles including Supply Chain Asia, Cargo Facts and Air Cargo Week.